The 18-year-old implicated in a dozen Uptown armed robberies and linked to the Christmas night shooting of six people in Central City was gunned down midday Tuesday.

Shortly after 12:15 p.m., gunshots rang out near the corner of Jackson Avenue and Willow Street in Central City, hitting Eldrin George several times in the leg and chest, police sources said.

Eldrin George

George ran half a block before collapsing, sources said. Paramedics took him to a hospital where he died less than two hours later, according to police.

John Gagliano, spokesman for the Orleans Parish coroner's office, declined to identify the shooting victim.

During the latter half of 2007, the 7th Ward man allegedly elevated his game of small-time drug offenses to serial armed robberies and murder, making him one of the city's highest-profile suspects.

Police had been searching for George for more than a month. A motive has not been released in Tuesday's shooting, but sources say it appears to be the latest in a round of retaliatory shootings, in which one shooting's suspect is another shooting's victim.

A murder warrant

New Orleans police issued a first-degree murder warrant for George last week, saying he was wanted in the death of at least one person in a Christmas night shooting that left two people dead and four wounded. Shortly after nightfall, a barrage from at least one assault rifle was unloaded into a shotgun house in the 2400 block of Josephine Street. One man was dead at the scene, slumped to the ground against the house, his chin on his chest. Another man also was shot to death. The victims have been identified as James Jones, 17, and Wendell Millro, 18.

Four others, including a woman, 19, and three males, 18, 17 and late teens, were wounded. Their names have not been released. Police have provided little information about the shooting, but have said at least three men in a red or burgundy vehicle may have been involved.

Linked to robberies

A police mug shot of George gritting his teeth had been plastered across the city for weeks before the shooting. Detectives linked him in mid-December to a bevy of Uptown armed robberies and a couple of burglaries.

In all, police say he committed 12 armed robberies. Most of the crimes took place within a one-week period last month near the University neighborhood. Nearly all were done in similar fashion.

In most of the cases, victims were grabbed while walking from a bar or from their cars to their homes, police said. In more than one case, the victim was almost to the door when the gunman approached and then shoved the victim into the house to complete the robbery.

Authorities put out alerts for George, noting that he has a scar on his forehead and a mole under his right ear, and his description was passed through neighborhood group e-mail chains.

At one point, detectives thought they had closed in on him. After a report that George was seen on the Algiers ferry, police flooded the dock and scoured the boat. Officers came up empty.

Meanwhile, George's alleged accomplice, Terrell Anderson, 18, was arrested and booked on charges of armed robbery, simple robbery and assault, according to court records. He is in jail.

A drug conviction

George's adult criminal record began in January 2007 with an arrest for possession of marijuana, a first offense, court records show. In March, police arrested him on a charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Then in June, George was again handcuffed -- this time on a charge of possession of heroin.

In September he pleaded guilty to heroin possession and being caught in a stolen motor vehicle, according to court records.

Criminal District Court Judge Darryl Derbigny sentenced George to serve five years of active probation and to pay court fees. Two months later, after George failed to pay his court-ordered fees, the judge issued an arrest warrant. Violating probation could have led to serving prison time.

George's attorney, Gary Wainwright, said Tuesday that the teen was "always polite and well-dressed."

"I was shocked to hear that he was tied to the armed robberies," Wainwright said. "And now this."

Wainwright faulted the criminal justice system, and stiff drug sentencing, for the downward spiral that led to George's death.

"There is this culture among citizens in our community that take the law into their own hands because the system is not functioning," he said. "And once you get named a suspect in a shooting, the whole retaliation thing kicks in. Neighborhoods, people are gunning for you."

Staff writer Walt Philbin contributed to this report.
Brendan McCarthy can be reached at bmccarthy@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3301.